


Shard of Decency

by serenesavagery (windrunnerdreamer)



Series: Adolin Speardancer and Kaladin Kholin [17]
Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Angst, Developing Friendships, Feels, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Male Friendship, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24034660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windrunnerdreamer/pseuds/serenesavagery
Summary: Kaladin and Adolin have a talk. After the duel, and Adolin learns that Kaladin does not in fact, have chull scat for soup and can actually be seen relaxed.
Relationships: Kaladin & Adolin Kholin
Series: Adolin Speardancer and Kaladin Kholin [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1527470
Comments: 17
Kudos: 26





	Shard of Decency

"Uh, please wait." 

They were alone in the surgical ward, where Dalinar had seen fit to take away Kaladin to. 

Adolin didn't blame them, his surgeon's eye caught all the bruises on Kaladin's arms and back and all the cuts from the duel. 

He stopped, looking at Kaladin in bemusement. 

"Uh, yes?"

Kaladin sat up straight with a wince and Adolin rushed over to help him sit up straight, earning him a questioning yet pained grunt.

The amount of emotion Kaladin put into his grunts, Adolin thought in amazement, was simply astounding. 

"I want to thank you." Kaladin said, blue eyes, so like Dalinar's, pinning him in place along with his serious tone of voice. 

Adolin blinked. "Uh, I think you did that already, princeling," Adolin laughed slightly here, still disbelieving. 

_"For reminding us, that honor is still alive in men!"_

He hadn't deserved that praise. Or the glory Kaladin had bestowed upon him.

A lighteyes? Bestowing glory and honor upon him? 

Adolin thought he'd never live to see the day. 

Kaladin shook his head. "You saved the lives of my father, my brother, my army and my own. I can't just let that slip." He said, seriously, beckoning Adolin to sit down on the stool. 

Adolin rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Prince Kaladin, you don't really have to-"

"No. I disagree. My own honor and gratitude wishes for me to do this. So, please, would you accept a set of Shards I won from my duel?" Kaladin asked. 

Adolin bit on his lip.

Storms. 

"Shards?"

Kaladin nodded. "That or...anything really. I mean, Shards are kind of overrated," Here Kaladin smiled, and the expression significantly softened his usually harsh features. 

"But their usefulness can't be denied. Plus, a man with your amount of skill and talent would be enormously useful in helping us face off against foes like the Assassin in White." Kaladin said, reasonably.

Adolin swallowed. "Oh. Um...thank you, Prince Kaladin, but...I'll have to refuse." 

He had to- even if the last time he refused a lighteyes had ended up in complete disaster. 

Kaladin blinked, eyes wide. "You don't want _Shards_?"

Adolin slowly shook his head, remembering the way that Shardbearer had killed every single one of his friends. 

Oh, Shards would be useful- Adolin didn't disagree.

He just didn't think he'd be worthy of using them. Someone like Adolin...

He touched his forehead, where the shash brands had been, and swallowed a lump. 

He had earned those brands for a reason- because he had been no better than that Shardbearer.

Adolin swallowed again. "No. I...I can't use them. I'm sorry, but I think...I don't know, Prince- I just can't." He said, pained. 

Kaladin looked surprised. "Well, not the reaction I was expecting...but I can respect a man's decision." Kaladin then shrugged before wincing. 

Adolin blinked, heart beating faster. "Wait, _what_?"

Kaladin looked at him, blinking. "You don't want Shards, right?"

Adolin nodded, hardly daring to believe what just happened. 

Kaladin shrugged before wincing again, and then glared at his shoulder before his expression cleared. "Well, that's that. What do you expect me to do, force you to accept Shards in gratitude? That's hardly thanking a man, that's just treating him like a baby and belittling him." 

Adolin breathed out, his heart feeling much lighter. "Oh." 

"Yeah. Instead, I will give you my word in honor that should you require any favor of any sort, I will do my best to abide by it." Kaladin said, voice quiet.

Adolin chuckled nervously- what was it with the men of the Kholin family and taking everything so storming seriously? And what was it with them and honor? Was there something Adolin was missing? Was it a lighteyed thing- no, certainly not.

Not all lighteyes were as ludicrously sincere as these men. 

Stormwinds, what did he get himself into?

"Uh, sure." Adolin managed out, smiling awkwardly. 

Kaladin then smiled again. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. I guess I'll be buying just boots then." 

Adolin snorted. "Please ask your fiancee to give me back my boots."

Kaladin chuckled. "Will do. I'll be waiting for that story, by the way." 

Adolin found it in himself to smile back genuinely, for the first time in a long time.


End file.
